1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is related to mobile communication devices and, more particularly, to a method and apparatus for representing the keys of a keypad in a mobile communication device.
2. Description of the Related Art
Mobile communication devices, such as smart phones, smart pagers, personal digital assistants, and the like, can be used for both telephony applications as well as computing and networking applications (e.g., via the Applications Protocol). Some of these mobile communication devices typically include a cover lid having a keypad with a plurality of keys thereon. When the cover lid is closed, the keys can be used to dial telephone numbers, receive a call, and to perform other telephony related functions. Flipping open the cover lid uncovers a touch screen and puts the mobile communication device into the computing and networking mode wherein a variety of applications such as Web browsing, sending e-mail, and surfing the Internet may be performed.
Unfortunately, when the cover lid is in the open position, the keypad faces away from the user, making it difficult for the user to use the keys for browsing or other computing and networking applications. For one thing, the user is required to blindly reach around the other side of the cover lid in order to press the keys. Even assuming the user manages to press the desired key, the expected functions and values represented by the keys have been transposed relative to when the cover lid is closed. For example, when the cover lid is open, the navigation key that the user intuitively expects to be the Up key is actually the Down key.
One way of overcoming the above difficulty is to display the needed keys directly on the touch screen when the mobile communication device is in the browsing mode. The user may then touch the appropriate touch screen key to achieve the desired function or value. A different set of touch screen keys may be presented to the user depending on the particular mode or application being used. However, the touch screen on most mobile communication devices is limited in size. It is therefore preferable to be able to use as much of the touch screen area as possible to display information instead.
Accordingly, it is desirable to be able to provide an improved method and apparatus for representing the keys in a keypad in a mobile communication device.